Cooling instrument



Maag* ATTORNEY w CHASE COOLING INSTRUMENT Flled June s, 1949 Dec. 26, 1950 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE1 COOLING INSTRUMENT William Chase, Chevy Chase, Md. Application June 3, 1949, Serial No. 96,865

` (o1. eef-91.5)

Claims. l

This invention relates to a manual Vinstrument for application to restricted areas or objects for cooling same. More specifically, the invention rel lates to an instrument provided with an element adapted for contacting teeth to test the vitality and health thereof and means for cooling the element to a relatively low temperature.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a front elevational view of a tooth vitality tester constructed in accordance with my invention, l

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 2--2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is' a partial sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the parts arranged in condition for use in testing purposes.

The dental profession finds it necessary frequently to determine the condition of a pulp in a tooth by applying to the tooth a piece of ice and noting the patients reaction of sensitivity. The procurement of ice for this purpose is usually very inconvenient and even when it is available it must. be reduced to proper shape and s'ze. Furthermore, the ice melts during handling and application so that such testing procedure is messy and cumbersome. According to my invention, I provide a simple instrument which has an element for contacting the tooth to be tested and self-contained means are provided within the instrument for cooling the contact element to a relatively low temperature without the use of ice, but by means of a volatile refrigerant or gas which upon expansion will cool the contact element.

Referring to the drawings, the instrument consists of a hollow cylindrical receiver or holder I0 made of metal or other suitable material which is adapted to receive yand retain therein a suitable cartridge 26 fieled with a refrigerating gas or liquid under pressure which is sealed by a puncturable diaphragm 21. The cartridge holder I0 is externally threaded at its upper open end at Il and is also provided with a plurality of apertures or openings 2I atthe bottom communieating with the interior of the holder. The upper edges of the holder Il] are tapered inwardly at 2, as shownA in Figure 3, for a` purpose to be explained later. A spiral spring 22 is loosely retained in the holder and is adapted to embrace and receive the cartridge 26. The assembled cartridge and spring are of suitable dimensions so that they can be readily inserted in the holder l0 at the open end thereof to assume the position shown in Figure 2 so that the diaphragm 21 of the cartridge is positioned adjacent the upper end of the receiver I0. The receiver I0 may be provided with a heat insulating jacket I4 embracing its outer periphery made of cork, rubber or other heat insulating material so that when the instrument is cooled as will be explained later it can be held comfortably in the hand for testing purposes.

In order to close the receiver I0 I provide a hollow closure I2 made of metal or suitable material which is threaded internally at its open end so as to mate with the threads I I on the upper portion of the receiver Ill, as shown in Figure 2. The closure head is provided with an integral tapered elongated extension or neck portion I2 terminating in a head portion I 5. A hollow steel puncture needle I1 is affixed to the head I5 at I8 by welding or other suitable means so as to extend downwardly Within the interior of the extension I2. The needle I'I is provided with a sharp cutting point at its lower end by c..tting the end at an angle as indicated by numeral 30 for puncturing the diaphragm 2l. The needle is also provided with a plurality of spaced perforations I9 adjacent the head I5.

The closure I2 is also provided with an internal shoulder or recess 4 for receiving a yieldable gasket 5 made of rubber or other resilient compressible material which is adapted to seal the joint between the receiver and closure when they are assembled for use. The gasket 5 is preferably beveled at its internal surface 3 which is presented to the interior of the closure so that when the closure I2 is turned and screwed downupon the threads II of the receiver from the position shown in Figure' 2 to the position shown in Figure 3, the inwardly tapered upper edges 2 of the holder I0 will make rm contact with the tapered face 3 of the gasket 5 and compress same so as to form a tight seal.

A removable hollow contact element It is provided, made of silver or other thermally conductive metal, which is frictionally retained on the exterior end of the head I5 by being shaped internally so as to snugly t the head as shown in Figure 2. The upper face 'i of the contact element may be concaved in contour so as to facilitate contact with the convex surface of tooth to be tested. The removable contact element can be formed of any desired shape or contour depending upon the specific use of the instrument. If desired the separately removable contact element I6 can be eliminated and the exposed portion of the head I 5 can be utilized directly as the contact element.

When the instrument is to be used a cartridge 3 26 containing a refrigerant liquid or gas under pressure is first inserted in the holder or receiver l l). The closure I5 is then positioned so as to cause the threads 9 and li to interengage as shown in Figure 1. The closure is then turned further until it assumes the final position shown in Figure 3 so that in this position the needle l1 will puncture the diaphragm 2l and the tapered end 2 of receiver l0 is'in sealed engagement with the gask'et 5. The refrigerant in cartridge 26 being under pressure will then flow upwardly through the needle il and expand through the openings I9 adjacent the head l5, whereby the head will be quickly cooled to a low temperature. The expanded refrigerating gases ywillthen flow downwardly in the neck portion l2 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, then downwardly into the receiver iEJ adjacent the inner walls thereof along the space provided by the coiled spring 22 "betw'eeri'the walls of the `receiver and the car'- 'tridg'e and finally out o'f the Vreceiver through Vthe openings 2 I vat'the bottom thereof.

The cooled head l5 in turn cools the contact lelement 'I retainedthereon which is adapted for cartridge;

Although the instrument as described is adapted1pa1ticularly for testing the vitality of teeth, it is obvious that the head can be given any other shape or contour, and can be used for application to other parts of the body or for application to any object or restricted area which it is Vdesired to cool. My -instrumenttherefore can be constructed so as to embody numerous modifications and changes depending upon its specific intended use. Suchmodications and changes are intended to be Aincluded within the `scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An instrument for cooling localized Yareas comprisinga holder for receiving a refrigerantcontaining cartridge, a 'closure for said holder, puncturing means in said closure for puncturing said-cartridge to release the refrigerant therein, said holder being provided with apertures topermit escape of released refrigerant, and a closed imperfor-ate head portion having a heat-exchange contacting portion integral with said closure adapted to be cooled by the released refrigerant.-

2. An instrument for cooling localized areas comprising a holder for `receiving a refrigerantcontaining cartridge, a closure for said holder. puncturing means in said closure for puncturing said cartridge to release the refrigerant therein, said holder being provided with apertures to permit escape of released refrigerant, a closed imperforate head portion integral with said closure adapted to be chilled by the released refrigerant-and a contact element retained on said head for contacting the area to be cooled.

3. An instrument for cooling localized areas which comprises a cylindrical holder for receiving a refrigerant-containing cartridge, the up per end of said holder being externally threaded, said holder being provided with apertures to permit escape of released refrigerant, a hollow closure member for closing said holder, said closure member being threaded internally at its open end for 'engagement with thethr'e'ads on said holder, a

'recess in said closure for retaining a resilient sealing gasket, an elongated hollow extension in- `tegral with said closure member terminating in a head portion, a hollow needle aixed to said head and extending downwardly and internally thereof'said'needle being provided with openings adjacent said head portion for permitting escape of refrigerant therefrom.

'4. fn `instrument for testing the vitality of teeth which comprises a cylindrical holder for `receiving `a refrigerant-containing cartridge, the Vupper end of said holder being externally threaded, Vsaid holderbeingtprovided with apertures to permit escape of released refrigerant, Aa hollow Vclosure member for-closing said holder, saidclosure member being threadedinternally at itsopen end for engagement with the Vthreads on said holder, a recess `in said closure for `retraining a resilient sealing gasket, an elongated hollowextension integral with said closure member terminating in a head'portion ahollow needlevaffixed to said -head and'extending downwardly and internally thereof, said needle being provided with openings adjacent said head por-tion for permitting escape of refrigerant therefrom, `and a hollow contact member frictionallyretained on said head.

5. An instrument for testing the vitality of teeth which comprises a cylindrical `holder ifor `receiving a `refrigerant-containing cartridge,- lthe upper end of-saidholder being externally threaded, said holder'being provided with apertures to permit escape of released refrigerant, ahollow closure member for closing said holder, said closure member being threadedinternally at its `open end for engagement with `the threads on said holder, a recess-in said closure -for retaining a resilient sealing gasket,`-an elongated hollow extension integral with `said closuremember terminating in a head portiom a hollow needle-afxed to said'head and extending downwardly and internally` thereof, said needle being .provided with openingsadiacent said -headfportion for permitting escape of vrrefrigerant therefrom, anda hollow contact member Vfrietionally retained -on said head and having a concaved contact-surface for contacting teeth to lbetestgc l .Am Y v WILLIAM AS'L.

Number t anie ljate '2,129,987 :eerk'so'n v "spt. 13, 193e accessi? webb nec. 215, *1942 v2,307,013 Batzle Elan. V5, i943 2,493,759 Freygang Jan. 10.11956 

